It turns out, they were the main characters.

His voice was suddenly interrupted by a gasp of shock.

The elder of the Shadow Clan who had just scanned Mu Zhi'an's innate furnace with his spiritual sense subconsciously took a half step back, staring intently at his body, his eyes filled with astonishment and even shock.

Lan Wu looked at the elder with suspicion and uncertainty, still not knowing what had happened.

At this moment, Lan Pingzhi, who was standing to the side, looked on with surprise and also used his spiritual sense to scan Mu Zhian's innate furnace.

"...Ancestor?!"

Just as his spiritual sense swept over the impolite person who had disturbed the ancestor's slumber, Lan Pingzhi seemed to sense something, his gaze suddenly freezing, and he squeezed out two words with difficulty from between his teeth.

Ancestor...?

Lan Wu, and even the old men who had just been looking at him with hostility, changed their expressions drastically, staring intently at Mu Zhi'an's body as if trying to see through him.

At this moment, an icy blue halo floated out from Mu Zhian's body, accompanied by an astonishing chill that gradually emanated from within him.

Then, amidst the pervasive chill, a figure dressed in an ice-crystal-colored dress silently appeared in everyone's sight.

Her dress was as light as gauze, and in the cold wind, there seemed to be a faint mark like an ice flower on her fair feet.

Those eyes were cold and devoid of any emotion, indifferently looking down at the crowd below.

"Why... Ancestor, weren't you already..."

Lan Pingzhi stared blankly at the woman, momentarily speechless with shock.

"What? He's completely dead, even his spirit has vanished from the world?"

Lan Shihuai said expressionlessly, "If you were really dead, that would be fine, but it was just your spirit sleeping in the ancestral land. After it awakened a thousand years ago, I watched you make sacrifices to the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox of the demon race every few years... The number one ancient family in the Eastern Continent making sacrifices to the Demon Emperor of the demon realm. This scene is truly interesting."

Upon hearing this, the expressions of all the elders, including the first elder, changed instantly.

"Ancestor..." The first elder could not control his excited heartbeat. He slowly stepped forward, looked up and said, "You are really still alive... You are actually still alive!"

Of those present, only two "living fossils" had seen Lan Shihuai a few times when they were children, and one of them was the first elder of the Lan clan.

If the first elder has said so, then it means that she really is the ancestor of the Blue Clan... Seeing the usually composed first elder showing such excitement, in a flash, the elders present felt both joy and heaviness in their hearts.

The joy stems from the fact that the appearance of Lan Shihuai signifies that the Lan Clan's future status will gradually rise, perhaps even surpassing that of the Yaochi Holy Land.

The heavy burden is likely to be the first thing Lan Shihuai will have to do after returning to the Lan Clan – a reckoning.

"I do not intend to pursue the matter of that foolish fox."

Surprisingly, Lan Shihuai didn't seem to care much about the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox, and spoke calmly.

Behind her, it seemed as if countless ice flowers were scattered, a natural and wondrous phenomenon that made the woman's figure appear even more awe-inspiring and chilling.

However, just as all the elders breathed a sigh of relief, Lan Shihuai's tone suddenly turned much colder: "But Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying have now received all of my inheritance. Their talents are no less than mine, and they will become two great powers in the future."

"But I later heard that they weren't even considered members of the Blue Clan?"

Upon hearing this, one of the elders mustered his courage, raised his head to look at his ancestor, and said, "Ancestor, you may not know this, but these two sisters did not grow up in the Blue Clan. Their bloodline is not pure, so they may not have a sense of belonging to the Blue Clan, therefore..."

Before he could finish speaking, the elder suddenly realized something was wrong. The entire space of Immortal Emperor Mountain seemed to be frozen by some invisible force, and the cold air was bone-chilling.

The people present felt goosebumps rise uncontrollably, and their adrenaline surged.

Any one of these people could be a formidable force in any region, yet at this moment they felt every nerve in their bodies sending out signals of danger and fear, and they all lowered their heads.

Only Mu Zhian kept glancing at the sky. This oppressive feeling came from the suppression of the Blue Clan bloodline, as well as the suppression of Lan Shihuai's own realm.

However, Mu Zhian is not among those being suppressed.

Lan Shihuai stared coldly at the elder who had spoken earlier: "Are you trying to tell me that the future bloodline of the Lan Clan is more important than the purity or impurity of your so-called bloodline?"

“…I wouldn’t dare,” the elder said in a low voice.

Lan Shihuai snorted coldly: "All ancient aristocratic families will inevitably become corrupt after the passage of time. I do not intend to pursue the matter of sacrificing to the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox. I have also turned a blind eye to the power struggles in the past, but that was because they did not involve the core interests of the Lan Clan."

"But what if someone's struggle for power involves the future interests of the Blue Clan..."

Although they didn't continue speaking, the elders present all felt a chill run down their spines.

"I know roughly what happened in the past between the sisters Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying."

Lan Shihuai's gaze swept past the elders and landed on the Lan Clan Chief: "You should know what to do if you want those two sisters to return to the Lan Clan, right?"

Lan Pingzhi hesitated for a moment, then nodded emphatically.

Lan Shih-huai looked around at everyone and said calmly, "Those who forced Lan Ping-zhi to abandon his wife and children and fight for power and profit will be imprisoned for three thousand years from today onwards."

As soon as Lan Shihua finished speaking, the expressions of several elderly people in the crowd changed.

Confinement for three thousand years... even for these clan elders, this was already an extremely severe punishment.

However, Lan Pingzhi knew very well that this punishment was actually just right.

Over the years, several influential elders in the Blue Clan have been vying for power to seek benefits for their own branches. Although he is the chief of the Blue Clan, he cannot do as he pleases.

Among those present, the only one who could keep the elders in check was this ancestor of the Blue Clan.

Lan Shihuai glanced at Lan Pingzhi and said indifferently, "Your affairs with your daughter are family matters, and I will not interfere. However, since you did not take care of them in the past, it is not appropriate for you to interfere now that they have someone they like."

Lan Pingzhi glanced at Mu Zhian subconsciously, his brows furrowing slightly, as if he wanted to say something but hesitated.

Lan Shih-huai continued, "From now on, you will assist Lan Wu in succeeding as the patriarch of the Lan clan."

Lan Pingzhi was taken aback, then raised his hand in a bow, which was taken as acquiescence.

Lan Wu also raised his hand in a bow and said, "Thank you, Ancestor!"

Lan Shih-huai ignored the others and instead focused his gaze on Mu Zhi-an.

"Mu Zhian, come with me. I have some questions for you."

His tone was indifferent, yet it carried a hint of cold indifference.

For a moment, even the expressions of the elders who were about to be confined softened slightly.

Although it's unknown how her ancestor was reborn, judging from the way she seems to be planning to reorganize the entire Lan clan and establish its authority...

Lan Wu glanced at Mu Zhi'an subconsciously, intending to plead for him, but was secretly stopped by Lan Pingzhi, who had excellent eyesight.

At this time, our ancestors were in a bad mood, and it would be a bad thing to provoke them further.

Lan Pingzhi originally thought that after this, the position of clan leader would have to be re-selected, and that their lineage would never have the opportunity to become the head of the Lan clan again.

But to their surprise, their ancestors still gave them another chance.

Although he will no longer be the head of the family, at least Lan Wu is still his child. The fact that the ancestor chose Lan Wu means that she still recognizes Lan Wu's talent.

At times like these, we must not provoke our ancestors any further.

Lan Wu clearly understood this principle, so he could only give Mu Zhian a look that said "good luck" before looking away.

With the Azure Emperor around, it's unlikely that our ancestors would actually do anything to him.

Thinking about it this way, Lan Wu felt a little more at ease about his future brother-in-law.

From beginning to end, no one present dared to raise their head to look at this superior Blue Clan ancestor.

Therefore, none of them noticed that while Lan Shihuai was speaking these words in a nonchalant tone, she inadvertently licked her lips, glanced at Mu Zhian with captivating eyes, and mouthed something.

Mu Zhian deciphered her lip movements and felt his blood rush to his head.

If I'm not mistaken, she was referring to... me.

……

After following Lan Shihuai away from the ancestral land of the Lan clan, the two walked side by side on the shore of the Taichu Lake of the Lan clan.

Mu Zhian consciously fell behind by half a step.

"Are you satisfied now?" Lan Shihuai suddenly asked casually, her voice melodious yet carrying a chilling coldness that seemed to detach her from human feelings.

If he hadn't witnessed the woman's last two words to him, Mu Zhi'an would probably have thought, like the other Blue Clan elders, that this beautiful ancestor was currently in a fit of anger.

But now... hehe.

Mu Zhian quietly took Lan Shihuai's slightly cool hand, looking puzzled: "What are you saying, senior...?"

"Do I need to make myself clearer? Isn't it you who wants me to stand up for them and give those two sisters justice?" Lan Shihuai's cold and beautiful face was expressionless, but she glanced at the boy beside her unintentionally.

She actually found out... Could it be that my acting was too bad not long ago? Mu Zhian was somewhat surprised and thought to himself.

Mu Zhian said frankly, "I do hope that you can stand up for them. In the past, Senior Sister and Sister Feiying have suffered a lot, and this matter can be said to be their only worry now... After this matter is resolved, firstly, they will always remember your kindness, and secondly... their cultivation will be smooth sailing in the future."

Lan Shihuai turned his gaze to the calm Taichu Lake ahead and said, "You're right. Actually, I wanted to get involved in this matter before, but at that time my spiritual sense couldn't support me leaving the Second Ark for too long."

Whether they choose to return to the Blue Clan in the future is not important. I only hope that if they find out about what happened between us in the future, they won't blame me...

At this point, the ancestor of the Blue Clan let out a soft sigh.

Fighting over a man with your own offspring... what kind of nonsense is that?

Mu Zhian glanced at Lan Shihuai's cold and beautiful profile, and suddenly asked, "Why did you choose Lan Wu as the future head of the Lan clan? Logically speaking, Lan Pingzhi's lifespan should allow him to remain the head of the clan for a long time, right?"

“Lan Pingzhi’s personality is too soft. He is more suited to doing things than to being a family head who oversees the overall situation,” Lan Shihuai said calmly.

With her discerning eye, seeing through a person is not difficult at all.

Based on previous conversations with Lan Pingzhi, and the occasional mentions Lan Mulian and Lan Feiying made about Lan Pingzhi in the past, it's not hard to see what kind of person this man is.

"Or do you have a more suitable candidate for homeowner?" Lan Shihuai suddenly asked.

Mu Zhian immediately shook his head: "This is a matter within your clan, and it is not appropriate for this junior to say more."

"Aren't you also a member of the Blue Clan?"

Lan Shihuai's usually cold tone suddenly became a bit lazy as he turned around and smiled, "You've already slept with two of my Lan clan's most important future daughters, and now even I am yours."

She released Mu Zhi'an's hand, her cool fingertips gently tracing his face, from his chin to his neck, finally tracing circles on his chest. She raised a slightly teasing gaze and parted her red lips: "Do you really need to be so polite?"

"..."

The sweet, delicate fragrance was tinged with a refreshing coolness, and the soft, warm body pressed gently against his chest was stirring Mu Zhi'an's senses.

If this weren't a sacred place of great importance to the Blue Clan, and if it weren't for the possibility that clansmen might pass through, Mu Zhian almost couldn't control his impulse.

"I have only just arrived in the ancestral land today. I'm afraid the clansmen are already gathered in the ancestral hall discussing today's events. So there won't be anyone else around here for a while."

Seeing the young man before him slightly moved, Lan Shihuai knew that he was also somewhat tempted. He chuckled and leaned closer, his cool red lips almost touching the young man's ear, and whispered, "My Lan clan members were truly sorry for how they treated you earlier. So, let me, as the ancestor of the Lan clan, make it up to you, young friend."

She gently guided Mu Zhi'an's hand to her face, her beautiful eyes shimmering with a moist and affectionate light: "Don't be shy, do whatever you like~"